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Monday, November 22, 2010

Herb Cheese Dip - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's drip and dip season here in Oregon. Rain and football seem to go hand in hand and those games are a great excuse to make a dip whose roots can be found in Lyons, France. There the dip is made with fromage blanc. Rest easy in the knowledge that cottage cheese will work nearly as well and that the herbs needed to make it can all be found in your neighborhood grocery store. It was originally intended to be used as a dip for raw vegetables, but I've found it to be a wonderful sandwich spread as well. As you scan the recipe ingredients you'll find it to be a healthy and figure friendly addition to your snack repertoire. The recipe, developed by Patricia Wells, is easy to make, but the cheese needs to drain for a day or two before it is served, so wait time will have to be factored into your game plan. This also gives the flavors of the herbs an opportunity to permeate the cheese. If you have a particularly macho crew for game day, you might want to omit the vegetables and serve the dip as a spread on rounds of rye bread that are topped with salami or other deli meats. It would also be wonderful as a spread on thick slices of crusty peasant bread. The dip can be made several days in advance of serving and you probably won't have leftovers to worry about. Here's the recipe.Herb Cheese Dip...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Patricia WellsIngredients:2 cups full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese2 shallots, peeled and minced1 plump, fresh garlic clove, peeled and minced3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped with a scissors3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, snipped with a scissors3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, snipped with a scissors1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, carefully stemmedFine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste1 tablespoon dry white wine1 teaspoon best-quality sherry wine vinegar1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oilMixed fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

Directions:1) Place cottage cheese in bowl of a food processor and pulse once, just long enough to break up cheese curds. Add shallots, garlic, chives, tarragon, parsley, and thyme, and process very briefly, pulsing only to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pulse once again to distribute the seasonings.2) Transfer mixture to a cheesecloth-lined large sieve set over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 48 hours.3) Remove cheese from refrigerator. Discard any liquid that has drained from the sieve. Transfer cheese to bowl of a food processor. Add wine, vinegar, and oil, and pulse to blend. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 2 cups.

U come uo with the perfect bites and more than do ur name more than proud , thats the first thing that comes to my mind when i hop here!!This dip is gorgeous!!Also so need ur help for some votes if u can , i have enterd my cookie ,the snicker doodle and badly need votes !!

That sounds too good especially since cottage cheese is a big favorite - eat some almost every day and have found Breakstone to be closest to the old time homemade kind, which wsa dryer then most now offered in the store. So perhaps less draining required and more curds remaining.

I'm missing my herb garden right about now. Although I do have tons of fresh herbs for the holiday. I actually can get fromage blac here and love using it. The simplicty of it is helpful this time of year so this is definitely something I can play with. We just had an ice storm - I prefer the drip!

Thank you for solving a dilemma. I have 2 dip recipes (a crab and a tuna) I intend to make for lunch Thursday (we'll eat the turkey in the evening). I wanted a third and you've reminded me how much I love cottage cheese. I don't for the life of me know why I don't eat it more often. Grazie, grazie.

How can I not love a rich cheese dip. I make fromage blanc a fair bit at home since I enjoy home cheesemaking. I was thinking it would be fun to make this dip using that in place of the cottage cheese. Yum!

Ooooh, this sounds so yummy. And I love that it's so healthy. I'm always looking for easy to prepare and healthier food options to help me as I stay busy with fun activities for grandparents and grandchildren - and what fun to use my digital camera to savor all those sweet moments with them. :) Thank you for sharing this recipe.

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